My Lost Hero (Angels of War Series #1) REWRITING 2024

Chapter Eight

The church bell let me know I was thirty minutes late as it chimed out from across the road. Mum was going to kill me! Cringing, I picked up my pace, power walking through the crowds of people at the Saturday market. The bus was on time until the broken traffic lights halfway through the journey put a stop to everything.

I approached the wedding dress shop and saw mum, and my sister, Hanna already inside with her many bridesmaids. The shop assistant greeted me at the door with her eyes drawn to my hands. Hanna spotted me right away and waved me over to them.

I gave her a tight hug, before kissing my mother's cheek. "Sorry I'm late."

"What took you so long?" Mum said into my ear when we pulled back.

I stepped away from her and threw a wince in Hanna's direction. "It wasn't my fault. Traffic backlogged for miles."

"It's fine," said my older sister, grinning when she clasped onto my hand to tug me over to the rails of beautiful dresses. "At least you're here now."

My chest deflated with ease at her forgiveness, not wanting to upset her on such a special day. "Have you tried any dresses on yet?"

We brushed past the candles they had on display, and it sent immediate thoughts of Joshua.

I turned my head to look at mum over my shoulder. "Do you have a favourite?"

Hurrying over here, she wrapped her arm around my waist and rested her head on mine. "No, darling. We wanted to wait until you got here to look properly."

It was then that I noticed Hanna slipping into the dressing room. "Come with me, sis. There are a few dresses I picked out when we first got here."

I beamed at her. "Okay, I'm coming."

I gave my handbag to my mum and hurried to the changing rooms. The room Hanna was getting changed in was closed off with a thick satin cream curtain. There was a matching fabric couch for me to sit on outside that day near a wall of mirrors.

About to pull the heavy curtain back, I stopped at the sound of the dressmaker's voice. "Miss Sommerberg, please listen to me when I tell you that this dress is not for someone of your size."

My skin prickled all over.

"It's my dream dress. Is there any way of fitting it to me?" Hanna replied, clearly upset.

"No, the bone in the bodice is too precious to experiment with," she replied in a scolding tone.

Hanna argued back. "I know that I'm thinner than your average woman, but I want to look beautiful on my wedding day and this dress will make me feel like a million dollars."

There was a tutting sound from the other woman. "Why don't you try a piece from the Lilianna dress range? They're made specifically for petite ladies."

Not able to just stand there and listen, I ripped back the curtain and pushed my way inside. "Is everything okay in here?"

Hanna was standing in her underwear while the seamstress held a tape measure and a box of pins. Hanna spoke up. "I can't try on the dress I like."

I frowned. "Why not?"

The older lady with perfectly styled hair turned to me with a stiff upper lip, lifting her box of pins into the air. "Because, she is far too tiny for it to look good."

I blinked at her complete lack of respect for my sister and had to take several deep breaths to stop myself from shoving her off the stool she was standing on.

"Excuse me? Who do you think you're talking to right now? Don't forget that we're potential clients of yours. Hanna has every right to try on that dress." I raised my voice.